What Really Frightens You?

Okay everyone, back up.

Come on, let's go.

Who called this in?

Found him like this?

Hey guys.

- Hey, Bob. - Hey man.

- You guys wasted a trip, doesn't look like a homicide.

What the hell happened to him?

- Looks like a heart attack, but let the coroner make

that call.

Excuse me, so that's my working stiff?

- Something sure scared the shit out of the poor bastard.

Must've been the prices at the pumps.

What really frightens you?

What makes your flesh crawl?

What gives you nightmares?

It's under your skin.

What makes you dread tomorrow?

Go on.

What brings back childhood traumas,

makes you think you won't survive the night?

What drives you insane?

I don't get it.

That's it.

What's it?

- That's it, my idea, or hot concept if you like.

It's been done before.

Fear of spiders, Arachnophobia, fear of sharks, Jaws.

I'm not talking about general phobias,

I mean specific ones, subjective, unique to that person.

Here's what I have in mind; I'll get a camcorder and

interview a cross section of people on the street,

I'll record their answers and analyze them.

Based on their ethnic background, gender, and class

it should prove interesting.

Subliminal terror, which is appropriate for

Ghastly Horror Magazine.

I see how it could work.

What's your time frame?

You tell me.

- I need a first draft within two weeks so that it can

be edited and proofs ready by the end of the month.

Our illustrator will need a copy before that for the

page headings.

We have the right to reject the piece if it doesn't

suit our format so you'll be doing this on spec.

Understood.

- Here's our basic agreement, which indemnifies us

against third part lawsuits and contains a confidentiality

clause.

Like I said, there's no guarantee we'll use it,

but I've been in this business long enough to know

you have to be on the lookout for fresh blood.

- Fresh blood, interesting choice of words.

- How can you be sure you can find the right people

for this article?

- I guarantee you the people I interview will be

interesting to your readers.

Here.

Remember that our market is teenage boys 12 to 16,

the kind that have the hots for Vampirella,

you know what I mean?

Promise not to interview anyone over 30.

Good, you know you can't trust them.

You frightened me.

You're easily frightened.

And your not?

- Oh, macho men like me, we never get frightened.

I don't like macho men.

Well I can be sensitive, too, you know.

Whatever you want.

Something in between.

A new age man, eh?

Well I guess I'll keep that in mind when I come of age.

See you around six tonight?

- You know it's against company policy for us to date.

Rules are made to be broken.

Besides, I thought we'd just run into each other at

the steak house.

I don't think so.

No, it's my treat.

Because I'll be at the sushi bar.

Oh okay, six o'clock then?

We'll see.

- Debbie, I need you to look at this contract and compare

it to the previous version and make sure there are no

omissions.

I'll get right on that.

Thanks.

- Hey. - You're late.

Shh.

Hey, how'd you do on that digital design project?

- Not too good, I got bogged down on art history research.

Boring.

I thought it was kind of interesting.

What's that?

Ghastly Horror, ick.

- Believe it or not I used to steal those from my

brother and read them when I was a kid.

You like that gory stuff?

Sometimes, when I'm in the right mood.

Are you in the right mood tonight?

I don't know, why do you ask?

- There's this new horror movie opening and I want

to see it, but I am not going alone.

What about Brian?

- He said he's cramming for an exam but he's probably

at a strip club with his friends, as usual.

- Don't you think it's kind of insulting when guys

go to those places?

Like we're not good enough.

- You're taking it too personally, as long as he looks

and doesn't touch, I don't care.

- I don't know, those places give me the creeps.

- Hey, I know, why don't we go to a male strip club?

See what's its really like, the full Monty.

- I would rather go to the movie and see how easily

you scare, asshole.

Hello, Mr. Evens.

Hi, uh,

could you give me Fred Johnson's invoice?

Yes, Mr. Evans.

- Hey, Bob. - What's up, buddy?

How'd it go?

- Got the charges dismissed. - Nice.

But our client was guilty as hell.

Slum lord, I feel sorry for the tenants.

- Don't wear your heart on your sleeve, partner.

God damn it, man. - What's up?

- The Lakeland Real Estate contract, I can't find it

anywhere.

I gave it to you like an hour ago.

- I know, but I can't find her and she filed it somewhere

and I don't know where.

You're talking about the new temp?

- Yeah. - What's her name?

Rita, no, Benita?

No, they both left.

Michelle.

That's it, Michelle.

I couldn't remember her name.

Hard to keep up with the turnover rate around here.

- Well our new girl Friday seems to have her own filing

system that needs a freaking cryptographer to decipher.

Call up the agency, get somebody else.

- What's the point? She's not gonna last, anyway.

At least she's eye candy.

You hit on her yet?

Dude, I'm about to after that.

Got to be fast around here, lots of competition.

In fact, I saw you looking at her just a second ago.

Nice body, right?

- Yeah, but she's a lousy secretary though.

- You know what they say about dumb blondes,

the reason their so stupid.

Everyone fucks their brains out.

- Whoa, whoa, you better watch it you're gonna end up

with a sexual harassment suit.

Yo, I'm not gonna represent you.

Mhmm.

- You need to learn to separate business from pleasure.

- Yeah, my pleasure is my business buddy, alright?

Wish me luck.

You're gonna need it.

Where you taking her?

You know what, man, with this one,

I think I'm gonna do a tour of my old neighborhood,

you know?

Show her where I grew up, what a family man I am.

Do you ever try that crap?

- If I took her to my old hood, she'd get mugged.

- Well anyway, I'm going in so watch my technique buddy.

You're gonna need it.

Oh, should I take notes?

- I'll tell you what, if she turns me down,

she's all yours.

Thank you for your leftovers, sir.

- Michelle, hey got to tell you, you look amazing in

that dress.

Listen, I'm kinda hungry, I figured you gotta eat,

it's about lunchtime, what do you say go get something

to eat and have some sex?

What do you think?

No thanks, Bob.

Not hungry?

Here's that invoice, Mr. Evans.

Thanks Michelle.

Wait a minute, this line is wrong.

Did I make a mistake?

- Yeah, it should say clients fee not clients free.

Oh, sorry about that, I'll fix it.

Guess there are no free clients around here.

I saw what you charge people.

- You know, even ambulance chasers got to make a living.

Well at least I'm free this evening.

Huh?

- I'm free, I'm not doing anything tonight.

All alone? No date or anything?

That just doesn't seem fair, now does it?

I know.